The Bike Shop seems to have the most feedback, all positive. But also most expensive.
If Two Wheels or Mr Bike Rentals are just as reliable, I'd prefer to save a bit of cash. Adds up when it's 28 days rental and the Australia Dollar in down the drain.

Where ever you get your bike you need to check it yourself. Chain, pads, suspension etc. If you can take a day to look and find the best one from all the shops and then bargain, generally there is no need to book ahead.

I would bring my own boots , gloves and helmet , then you know they fit. How good would you think rental helmets and boots are (at 25 cents a day)? :lol:

harrythefinn wrote:
I would bring my own boots , gloves and helmet , then you know they fit. How good would you think rental helmets and boots are (at 25 cents a day)? :lol:

Click to expand...

Yeah very true. I plan to bring my own gloves, but I am also travelling round Thailand both on bike and general backpacking (Bus/planes/etc). And carrying around boots and helmet is a bit hard. I also only have road gear, not exactly sure how the boots differ, or the helmet for that matter (other than the better Chin protection).

So from your advice I take it you can bargin even with the western run rental places. I bargined in Vietnam, but wasn't planning to do it in Cambodia just incase I saved a couple dollars a day but got the dodgy bike!

You can do it with hiking boots and find a local helmet, it just depends how serious you want to ride.A mate of mine rides in clogs and shorts (ex round the world etc). If you go off road single track by yourself, I'd take good MX boots and a helmet. No fun on holidays with a twisted ankle. Saying that you have more chance of being run off the road by a overtaking bus or a Lexus 4 WD on the main roads.

If you can't tell a dodgy bike from a good one take the rental to Veys Bike shop or Flying Bike for example and have them check it, if it's not good take it back and exchange it, all the shops will exchange if you can show what is wrong. Anywhere you can bargain especially for a month hire.The Baja and XR 250s are quite bullet proof and can take a trashing and stay in one piece.

xen wrote: [quote quote=harrythefinn]
I would bring my own boots , gloves and helmet , then you know they fit. How good would you think rental helmets and boots are (at 25 cents a day)? :lol:

Click to expand...

Yeah very true. I plan to bring my own gloves, but I am also travelling round Thailand both on bike and general backpacking (Bus/planes/etc). And carrying around boots and helmet is a bit hard. I also only have road gear, not exactly sure how the boots differ, or the helmet for that matter (other than the better Chin protection).

Its nice to have some knee and elbow protection as well as the basic boots/ helmet /gloves, especially if you're riding solo in remote areas.
One option is to buy what you need on your way out of Bangkok . Then your not carrying it around Thailand.
Paddock Proshop has a good range .
This site has addresses/gps locations etc of Bangkok bike shops

bill wrote:
Zeus make half decent (DOT approved) MX and fullface helmets which are avail in Phnom Penh for under $50.
MX Boots, knee/elbow pads and gloves better off getting in Thailand .

Click to expand...

Boots and armour seem pretty expensive. And I am guessing unlike helmets you should be able to look and tell the condition. But if I can get a decent helmet for $50US, that seems like a very good idea.

Any info on a place I can pick one up?
And I can hire boots, knee/elbow/back armour plus my own gloves.

Boots and armour seem pretty expensive. And I am guessing unlike helmets you should be able to look and tell the condition. But if I can get a decent helmet for $50US, that seems like a very good idea.

Any info on a place I can pick one up?
And I can hire boots, knee/elbow/back armour plus my own gloves.
There's a bunch of helmet shops in PP near the intersection of Mao Tse Toung Blvd and Samdach Monireth Blvd.
I havent marked it but looking at the Cambodia gps map in mapsource I'd say the shop selling Zeus helmets is around about N11 33 116 E104 54 141.
I say the Zeus are half decent because they sell them Australia for ~AUD200 and they pass ozzy design rules.
I've also seen some cheap crappy helmets with Zeus stickers , maybe copies ?

As for amour, I live in Sihanoukville so not aware of the latest wrt whats avail in PP. Previously it was bugger all.

It is NOT in my best intrest to deny these people buisness, I know them both, The fact is true, their hire bikes are committed, they told me so themselves. No intention to create misunderstandings, I find this a reather cheap shot to fire off.

I refer them both to any and all that ask me where to get a good hire bike, and will continue to do so.

Having called 4 bike shops, asking to hire two bikes, all said that a touring company had reserved their bikes for the time period I requested. They ALL told me who had hired their bikes, if you refer to my first post, you will notice that I made no mention, whatsoever, as to what tour company had made the bookings, Your attack on me, via this forum, has let everyone know who has hired the rental bikes to cover their tours, You must be a woman. In fact, I am 90% sure you are a woman. You have falsely accused me of deliberately trying to take customers from these shops, or deny them custom, on the contrary, I reccommend them. I have no commission agreement with anyone, the advice I offer other riders is free.

Please reconsider a retracting statement, to save face and further embarrassment.

You have no effect on me personally, however, your posted reply is in fact a reflection upon you, your company, and your character.

MuddyMick wrote: Having called 4 bike shops, asking to hire two bikes, all said that a touring company had reserved their bikes for the time period I requested. They ALL told me who had hired their bikes, if you refer to my first post, you will notice that I made no mention, whatsoever, as to what tour company had made the bookings, Your attack on me, via this forum, has let everyone know who has hired the rental bikes to cover their tours, You must be a woman. In fact, I am 90% sure you are a woman. You have falsely accused me of deliberately trying to take customers from these shops, or deny them custom, on the contrary, I reccommend them. I have no commission agreement with anyone, the advice I offer other riders is free.

Please reconsider a retracting statement, to save face and further embarrassment.

You have no effect on me personally, however, your posted reply is in fact a reflection upon you, your company, and your character.

Think next time, before you write.

Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure I understand what's got you so worked up into such a state... Take a chill pill, this is Cambodia.

Yes, I am a woman (you hardly need the investigative skills of Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out). What has that got to do with anything?

For your information, we have hired one bike from Tony only, not quite in keeping with your 'block booking' theory.

Oh and we all offer advice and assistance for free; just not all of us feel the need to keep telling everyone about it

1. there is and never was any theory about tour companies blocking hires, only tht the better bike hire places were hiring out to tour companies, he would have to look further, and know his bikes to ensure he can hire a reasonably dependable and safe bike.

2 As to the reference to gender, I sincerely and deply appologize, it was in poor taste and rude of me to do so, I am recently seperated, and had just had a phone call off of my psychotic ex Thai missus that had me all wound up, no excuse for what I said to you, just an explanation.

3. What prompted my initial reply was the statement you made that it was in my best intrest to deny them custom. This is untrue, you have no evedence that supports your statement, and I felt personnally insulted.

4. Yes, this is Cambodia, and I take a multi coloured variety of chill pills, depending on conditions and need, but thanks for the advice anyway.

I hope this clarifies any misunderstanding, and that you will please accept my humble appology for my commenmt as to your gender.

There is only one bike shop you should rent from and that is mrbikerentals. The owner Lee is a great person and very helpful and supportive. He doesn't repaint and polish his bikes but rest assured he makes sure the bikes are in excellent running condition. Chrome don't get you home.Tunes them up before you rent and has mechanics go over every inch of the bike.I never had problems with bikes or have I heard any one else having any.Sure I had a flat tire at one point but that was from really hard riding on my part.
Say Hi to Lee from Tyler.We are good friends.

i have always thought dancingroads run organized riding trip after looking at the web site since there is no place about bike hire and ride on own- my assumption might be wrong here.

i am sure that twocambodia rents bikes for riders on their owns.

riding season has come. i believe that most of bike hire shops have already been overbooked just like muddymick said. when they are overbooked, they might get bikes from other rental shops. like best victory bike rental, for example. he does not even own a few dirt bikes.

I have always had great service from The Bike Shop.
Really helpfull French fellow who went out of his way
to get some welding done for over a weekend too.
Wouldn't hesitate starting with him and then looking elsewhere if he couldn't provide.
As said in a post previously this is a country to chill rather than get wound up.